Sean Dyche’s Everton thrashed Chelsea 2-0 at Goodison Park on Sunday to claim three consecutive Premier League victories for the first time since 2021.
Abdoulaye Doucoure netted just before the hour mark before 20-year-old Lewis Dobbin fired home a glorious volley in added time of the second half to seal a 2-0 win.
Despite their 10-point deduction, Toffees now sit four points off the relegation zone, while Chelsea, who lost for the third away game in a row, sit 12th, with the pressure on Mauricio Pochettino mounting.
Neither side looked likely to score in a dull first half, Everton lacking firepower and Chelsea coherence; Jordan Pickford’s from Cole Palmer’s long-range curler was as close as either side came.
After the break, though, Everton found just a little quality to elevate their industry and intensity, taking the lead on 54 minutes when Doucoure finished smartly after good work from Dwight McNeill.
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The loss is Chelsea’s seventh in the league under Pochettino this season, dropping them one place to 11th, as neighbours leapfrogged them Fulham’s thrashing of West Ham.
A seventh defeat in 16 league games in charge for Pochettino sees Chelsea slip into the bottom half, behind West London neighbours Fulham.
The former Tottenham boss has pleaded for patience as he tries to mould together an array of expensive young talent.
But Chelsea managers do not tend to get much time to turn things around and the pressure is on for Pochettino to find a quick fix to his side’s problems.
